With Stevens leading by double digits in the final minute of a win over O'Connor, Falcons point guard Nicole Salazar let a smile creep across her face after drawing a foul.

Wrong move.

“What is there to smile about when we can't make free throws?” Stevens coach Annissa Hastings yelled from the bench.

Salazar nodded and promptly swished two free throws. She didn't mind her coach's comment. After all, that kind of intensity has led the No. 2 Falcons to a 21-4 record and 7-0 mark in District 27-5A.

“She's a really good help,” said Salazar, a senior who averages 10.4 points per game. “She makes our enthusiasm come up to like 110 percent. OK, maybe 200 percent.”

Led by their second-year coach, Stevens has taken control of 27-5A, despite graduating one of the area's top scorers, Alexis Govan, who averaged 23.2 points per game and now plays at Western Kentucky.

To make up for her loss, the Falcons have focused on balance — four players average at least 9.7 ppg — and a fast-paced attack on both sides of the floor. They simply wear out most teams. Stevens is outscoring district opponents by an average of 20 points.

“I think we work harder than any team out there,” senior forward Samantha Herrera said. “Everyone has a little something they're good at. It's not like one person makes the team. We work together.”